Finishing second in the Olympics gets you silver. Finishing second in politics gets you oblivion.
Richard M. Nixon
That must be why I love the Olympics and despise politics - because in the Olympics we can love the also-rans and see enemies forget their animosity and shake hands. I love the silver that isn't really silver as much as that cold, hard stuff that banks value - the abalone shell necklace my son made me when he was ten and the rinestone butterfly that was a dragonfly until I broke off the tail which was a gift from my husband in the early days of our marriage. The plastic Buddha from when I was a student in Beijing and the silver and opal macaw that I designed myself based on my pets and a loose stone I bought in shanghai. The one I treasure the most is the baby rattle that is battered from both my babies banging it and turns out to have only been silver plated because most of the silver is gone now, but the memories are gold.
I've always favored white gold which looks like silver or silver itself. What a great collection of silver you have! And an even greater collection of memories to go with it!
